


Them Apples

by Titti



Series: Twenty Week challenge [5]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-08-05
Updated: 2005-08-05
Packaged: 2017-12-15 22:02:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/854487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Titti/pseuds/Titti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is better to dream for a strawberry or learn to enjoy apples?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Them Apples

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Twenty Week challenge at http://www.livejournal.com/community/20weeks/411.html  
> Character: Kaylee

Kaylee sat at the table, her arms resting on the wooden surface. It was only Jayne, the Shepherd and her, and neither man seemed interested in conversation. The Shepherd had his head buried in a book, and Jayne... Jayne had part of his armament spread on the table, and he was in the process of cleaning it. Yes, no chance that she could compete with guns and knives.

Kaylee sighed and rested her chin on her arms while staring at the apples sitting in a bowl, right in the middle of the table. "We always have apples," she said mostly to herself. "They're good an' all, but you see 'em everyday, eat 'em everyday, and before you know it they become borin' like." She raised her head and stared at Jayne. "People are like fruit, ain't that right?"

The mercenary grunted, while keeping his eyes on the knife he was currently sharpening. "Can't say I know what ya mean?"

"IF you could have anything, wouldn't you ask for somethin' more... I don't know... more exciting? Strawberries and mangoes, kiwis and watermelons." Kaylee slid into the chair next to Jayne. "People like Inara, they're the excitin' fruit; everyone wants them. Me... I'm like an apple... ordinary, and borin'." She sighed and leaned back against the chair. "I wish I could be a strawberry for once."

Jayne stabbed an apple with his knife before biting a chunk off. He chewed slowly, as if he needed to think about what she had said. "Apples are good. I mean strawberries can be better, but they only last so long, and one bite and they're gone. Apples... you can really sink your teeth into them, and they are there when you want 'em."

Kaylee rolled her eyes. "So they are good because they are available? That's..."

"What men folks think," Jayne replied. "What good is a wo- I mean fruit if you don't have it when you're hungry. So you want strawberry, but it ain't here, and you don't got nowhere to find it, so you eat an apple."

Kaylee nodded. "Ain't that the truth, but still..."

"Still nothing, besides everyone knows that apples are sinful, sex like sinful, even the scriptures say so. Ain't that right, Shepherd?"

Book raised his head from his bible. "Well... that's not the exact meaning. It's more complex than that. The apples represent evil and the forbidden."

Jayne snorted. " Fei hua, ain't 'the forbidden' educated folks talk for sex, Shepherd. Besides, here you have two people with the perfect life and no sex. Then they went and bit an apple and their life turns real and niou-se... hard like ours, but they go ruttin' their gorram brains out. Me, I like life better with some ruttin' even if there is some workin' to do. The killin' is just a plus." He took another bite from the apple, before smirking. "What do you think the Doc thinks?"

Kaylee bit her lip for a moment, but then a grin spread on her face. "I reckon everyone likes sex." She grabbed an apple, and stood up.

"Where are you going, Kaylee?" Book asked, worried, knowing that Simon would not agree with Jayne and Kaylee's brand of common sense.

She saw Jayne's knowing grin, and smiled back before turning to the Shepherd. "Time to show Simon how sinful them apples can be." With a wink, she went in search of Simon.

 

Translation:  
Fei hua - Nonsense  
Niou-se - cow dung  
Gorram - god damn


End file.
